Jake X Valen
Character Jake Gruesen © Windwarrior234 Valen Nicanor © Zilver_Hawk Support 'Support Level C ' Jake: *practicing with his sword* .... Valen: *hurrying down a path* .... Jake: *hears footsteps, yet remains silent, listening intently*...... Valen: *stops, looks around cautiously, and darts off again* Jake: *frowns a bit, thinking* What is going on....*grips his sword in preparation for a battle* Valen: *stops in a clearing* ...Must have lost them... Jake: *having already been there* Who are you? Valen: *turns around abruptly, his hand on the hilt of his sword* ...It is courtesy to give your name before asking someone else's. Jake: Jake. Valen: Alright. Then I am Valen. Jake: Valen...*nods* Very well. What were you running for? Valen: ...That is my business. None of yours. Jake: I am merely attempting to decide if I should treat you as a threat or merely a passerby. Valen: If you do not lower your blade, I'm a threat. If you forget you ever saw me, then I'm a passerby. Your choice. Jake: How do I know that if I lower my blade you will not attack? Valen: *smirks* You don't. Jake: Then this blade remains. Valen: Then do yourself a favor and step aside. I don't have time your your silly games! Jake: By all means, help yourself; I have no reason to stop you. Valen: *runs past him* ...Hmph. Rotten kid. Jake: *remains wordless as Valen disappears*....Don't ever underestimate someone, Mr. Valen. *reveals an ID card that he had fished from the man's pocket* You have no idea what they're capable of. End of Support C ' 'Support Level B ' Valen: *crosses off a name on a list and shoves it back into his pocket* ...Two down... Jake: *cleaning his blade of blood* Always such a mess after it's over.... Valen: That smell... *grimaces* Blood. Jake: *sheathes the sword and tucks the bloodied rag into his coat pocket* Yuck... Valen: *from the shadows* *thinking* Hm...that kid again... Jake: *takes out a small black book and a pen* Let's see...another one down *crosses out a name* Next target...he should be within the area. Valen: *grits his teeth and turns to leave* Jake: *calls out* You know, next time, you don't have to hide in the bushes, Valen. Valen: *freezes* ...And next time you might want to find a more secluded place to clean your blade. Jake: Last I checked, you were the only one here. I didn't think you'd particularly care too much, Mr. Nicanor. Valen: ...How did you-... Jake: *flashes the ID card and tosses it to him* You really mustn't underestimate people; you have no idea what skills people have. Valen: *catches* So you know my last name. Exciting. *pockets it* It matters not. Jake: Tell me, Valen; what does one normally do with a person's full name? Someone in your line of work should know the answer to that question. Valen: *narrows his eyes* If you continue to badger me, I'll show you what I would do. Jake: Is that how you would treat a cilent asking for your services? Valen: A client? *smirks* You're asking for my help? Jake: The reason I am is because your skills as a bounty hunter are so well-defined, and the person I have been tasked with taking down has managed to evade me for months now. Valen: Alright then. A name. That is all I need. Jake: General Jihl Nabaat Jake: *pulls out his sheet of paper and scribbles it down* Consider them dead. ...But I'm not cheap. Jake: Cost will not be an issue. Rather, use caution; she is not a general for being a pretty face. Valen: A face is a face. They all look the same when dead to me. Jake: Very well then; I entrust the task to you. Valen: Fine then. Give me a few weeks. Jake: *nods* I will meet you back here in three week's time. That should be appropiate. Valen: ...Of course. *starts to walk off* Jake: Oh, and Valen? Valen: *stops* ...Yes? Jake: *frowns* *sadly* I'm sorry about Violet...*runs off* Valen: *his nails dig into the palm of his hand as he walks off* ... '''End of Support B ' 'Support Level A ' Jake: *waiting under a tree* It's been three weeks....*bites his lip*I hope he's alright. Valen: *walks up behind him and throws a package wrapped up in brown cloth at his feet* It's done... Jake: *slightly surprised, takes the package and unwraps it to reveal a whip-like sword* This is her weapon.... Valen: ...I told you. It is finished. Jake: *nods* Very well; here is your payment, as promised. *hands him three very precious jewels* These, when sold, should fetch a price even a noble would be envious of. Valen: *inspects them and pockets them* ...I won't ask how you obtained these... Pleasure doing business with you. Jake: *nods in agreement* Yes, it was. It seems the rumors about you were true. Valen: ...Rumors? Jake: You're a bounty hunter; a good one. Word spreads fast about men like you. Valen: Too fast if you ask me...Try to keep quiet about this. The authorities almost caught up with me last time... Jake: I will not utter a word. I must admit, I am impressed you took out Jihl Valen: It wasn't the simplest task, I admit. I will recover though. Jake: You must be stronger than I had thought. Jihl was a very powerful commander. Valen: *smirks* "You really mustn't underestimate people; you have no idea what skills people have." Jake: *grins* You have a point. Valen: *is silent for a while then he speaks up* ...There's one thing I need to know. Jake: What would that be? Valen: ...How did you...know about Violet? Jake: *frowns a bit* Believe it or not....Violet was a relative of mine. Valen: ...Wh-...What? Jake: Violet was my mother's cousin. Valen: I...see... Jake: My mother spoke very highly of you, Valen. Violet loved you very much. Valen: ...Violet...was perfect. She...didn't deserve to die. ...None of them did. Jake: *nods sadly* The world is cruel. I'm just glad that Emily... Valen: *looks at him sharply* .... Jake: *blinks* Wait; you...don't know about Emily? Valen: ...She's...dead.... Jake: *shakes his head* No, no, Emily survived! Valen: *glares at him* You're lying! Jake: I swear to the Goddess! Valen: Th-That can't be...true...E-Everyone was...Everyone was dead! Jake: Emily was nearly dead...the only reason she survived is because her mother shielded her. Violet sacrificed herself to protect her daughter against the raiders. They thought that they were both dead, so they left them alone. She was rescued and she's living with my mother's sister. Valen: *his eyes are wide with confusion and despair. He starts to run away, but trips and falls in an emotional heap* DAMN IT! ...She's been alive all this...alive...my baby...she's eight now...eight... Jake: *watches in surprise*...Do you want to see her? Valen: ...Not like this...she can't see me...like this.... Jake: She still wants to see her father. Valen: *bites his lip* .... Jake: If you're not ready yet, I understand, but...she thinks you're dead as well. Either that or you abandoned her. Valen: *snaps* I would never abandon her! Jake: *winces for a moment* I know that! But you have to remember, Valen; she's only eight. She thinks that death is the same as abandonment. She sometimes asks my aunt, "why did Mommy and Daddy leave me alone?" She doesn't understand....it's heartbreaking. Valen: *squeezes his eyes shut to keep from sobbing* ...... Jake: *allows a small smile* Otherwise, she's quite the precious little thing. Intelligent, cheerful, always laughing....my mom and aunt keep saying that she looks just like her mother. Valen: ...She is...She looked just like Vi...No one would believe she belonged to me too... Jake: *laughs a little* They also say she has your temper and your quick wit. Apparently, when she doesn't want to be found, they won't see her until it's time to eat or bedtime. Valen: *smiles ever so slightly* *mumbles* ...That's a girl... Jake: Family is a very important thing to me, Valen. Whether you think it or not, your marriage to Violet makes you part of it. If I can help reunite you and your daughter, then I'm sure Violet will be able to rest in peace. Valen: ...I thought...getting rid of the men that attacked Dies Irae...would bring her to peace...Her face has been haunting my dreams more and more lately... Perhaps...Emily... Jake: Perhaps it's a sign that Emily needs you. Valen: ...Where is she? What town? Jake: Right now, she's living in Halura. That's about three days from here. Valen: Two if i run. Jake: *surprised* Valen....at the very least, let me come with you. Valen: Are you fast? ...I'm not stopping. Jake: I'm the quickest member of my mercenary troop, and two of us are Branded. So, yes, I'm fast. Valen: *picks himself up* ...Alright then. You can come along. Jake: *nods* Alright then; shall we depart? Valen: Yes. *darts off* Jake: He doesn't really wait around....*darts after him* 'End of Support A ' '''Jake, Quicksilver and Valen, Stoic Swordmaster They ran for two straight days, reaching the town of Halure in record time. Jake, knowing his hometown like the back of his hand, showed Valen to his home, where father and daughter were happily reunited. Valen, for the first time in years, shed tears as he hugged his long-lost Emily. From then, he took up residence in Halure so as to never miss another moment of his daughter's life. And Jake, the young man who he now viewed as family, was the one person he could wholly trust.